Email marketing designs that actually convert
Email design in 2025 isn’t just about making things look pretty—it’s about assembling the right pieces to get results. Whether you're creating your emails directly in Klaviyo or designing in Figma or Canva, a great email design guides your audience towards action without overcomplicating things.
The good news? You don’t need to be a designer to create high-performing emails. With a few key principles, you can craft emails that look sharp, feel on-brand, and actually get clicks.
If you’re wondering, “how do I create a custom email design?” Here are our 10 guidelines for effective email design that will set you up for success.
1. Start with a Clear Goal
A great email design starts with one key question: What action do you want people to take?
Click a CTA to shop, book, or learn more
Sign up for an event, webinar, or newsletter
Engage with a new product, sale, or blog
Your email design, layout, and content should all guide the reader towards that goal. If something doesn’t support it, ditch it.
2. Use Layouts to Enhance the Reader’s Experience
How you structure your email can make all the difference in whether or not your reader takes action. Layouts are more than just aesthetic choices—they shape the flow of information, guiding your audience seamlessly through your email and increasing the chances of them engaging with your content.
Your most crucial information—like the key offer, CTA, or hero image—should be visible immediately when the email is opened, this is commonly referred to as “Above the Fold”. If readers need to scroll past the fold, they may miss your primary message.
If you are unsure on how to structure your email, take a look at these email layouts:
Inverted Pyramid Layout:
Directs attention down to the point of the triangle
Illustrative banner image
Large, straight-to-the-point headline
Body text with important details that add context
Clear pronounced CTA button
The zig-zag:
Eye strategically bounces down the page
Information is still prioritised
All sections are relevant to the core message
Each section has a clear CTA
Single column:
Simple and straight to the point
Imagery takes the lead
Single CTA
Renders well across devices
3. Ensure All Elements Lead to the CTA
The Call to Action (CTA) is the whole point of your email. If your reader doesn’t know exactly what to do next, all your hard work on email design won’t matter.
Every part of your email should funnel attention toward the CTA. From your headline to your images, every design choice should support that one goal—getting clicks.
Position your CTA above the fold – Don’t make people scroll to find the action you want them to take.
Use contrasting colours for your CTA button – Make it stand out from the rest of the design.
Limit distractions – Avoid unnecessary elements that draw attention away from the CTA, like too many links or images.
Keep the message clear – Your CTA should be simple and direct, like "Shop Now" or "Sign Up Today."
Place a secondary CTA at the bottom – If readers don’t click the first CTA, give them a second chance at the end.
If you're using Klaviyo email templates, choose one that naturally guides the reader’s eyes toward the CTA. Klaviyo email marketing design templates often feature built-in structures that help with this.
4. Prioritise Mobile Optimisation
Let’s face it: most people check their emails on their phones. So, if your email isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re missing out on a huge chunk of your audience. Mobile optimisation is no longer optional—it’s a must.
Making Sure Your Emails Look Great on Mobile
Keep it short and sweet – On mobile, people skim, so make your copy concise and scannable.
Preview before sending – Always check how your email looks on a phone, not just on a desktop. Mobile previews are crucial to ensure everything looks great.
Tap-to-text links – Make it easy for readers to click on links or CTAs, especially for smaller mobile screens.
Block settings for mobile/desktop – Use Klaviyo email marketing design free tools to create versions that display differently on mobile and desktop (e.g., hiding elements on mobile to declutter the view).
Use larger text – Make sure your text is large enough to read easily on a phone screen without zooming in.
5. Keep Brand Consistency
Your email design should reflect your brand at every turn—whether it's the colours, tone, or visual style. Brand consistency builds trust and recognition with your audience. The more your email aligns with your overall branding, the more likely people are to engage.
Use consistent colours and fonts – Stick to your brand’s colour palette and font choices to maintain a professional and cohesive look.
Branding elements – Include your logo and other elements like taglines or signature imagery that make your emails feel familiar to your audience.
Email templates – Use Klaviyo email templates that can be customised to reflect your brand, or create custom templates that match your website and other marketing materials.
Solidify brand guidelines – Make sure your design choices align with your broader brand guidelines, so your emails feel like a natural extension of your brand.
Plan your emails alongside other marketing campaigns so everything is in sync. It’s all about creating a seamless brand experience across platforms.
6. Use Text Hierarchy Wisely
In the world of email design, text hierarchy is your best friend. It’s the way you structure your copy to highlight what matters most and make it easier for readers to quickly grasp your message. Without it, your emails can look like one big block of text.
Mastering Text Hierarchy
Use headings and subheadings – Break your email into clear sections with bold headings to make it scannable.
Font size matters – The largest text should be for your most important points (like the main offer or CTA).
Put key information at the top with smaller text for supporting details.
Call attention with bold or colour – Important phrases or CTAs should stand out by using bold or colour, without overdoing it.
7. Use Colours to Emphasise and Prioritise Ideas
Colour is a powerful tool in email design. When used strategically, it can help direct the reader's attention to key areas, making your email more engaging and actionable. Whether it’s for emphasis or to guide the reader, colour should never be random—it should be purposeful.
Contrast is key – Ensure there’s enough contrast between your background and text. If it’s hard to read, it doesn’t matter how pretty it looks.
CTA colour – Your CTA button should pop with a contrasting colour to draw attention, making it clear where the reader should click.
Consistency with brand colours – Stick to your brand’s colour scheme to reinforce recognition and professionalism.
Use colour to highlight priority info – Use colours to differentiate between sections or to call attention to important details like sales, deadlines, or offers.
8. Embrace White Space Around Elements
Don’t underestimate the power of white space (or negative space). While it might seem like empty space, it actually plays a crucial role in making your email design look clean, easy to read, and more professional. Too much clutter can overwhelm your readers and distract from your message.
Give your elements room to breathe – Don’t crowd your text, images, or CTAs. Space them out to make the content easier to digest.
Improve readability – White space around text makes it less overwhelming and increases engagement.
Don’t be afraid to leave areas blank – Sometimes, less is more. A clean, minimalist design can make a strong impact without cluttering the message.
9. Make It Personal
Personalisation is key to standing out in a crowded inbox. The more tailored your email is to the individual reader, the more likely they are to engage. It’s not just about using their name—it’s about delivering content that’s relevant to them. Email design with personalisation makes a massive impact on your open rates and conversions.
Use dynamic content – Implement dynamic product feeds or personalisation tags to show products or offers based on their past behaviour or preferences.
Segment your audience – Don’t send the same message to everyone. Use segmentation to send targeted messages to different groups, making them feel more tailored.
Show/hide logic – Adjust what content is shown to different users depending on their profile, location, or actions.
Offer relevant recommendations – Display product recommendations based on what the recipient has browsed or purchased before.
10. Balance Images and Text for Better Engagement
A great email design strikes the right balance between images and text. Relying too much on images can cause deliverability issues (some email clients block images by default), while too much text can feel overwhelming.
Best Practices for Image & Text Balance:
Aim for a 60/40 split – 60% text and 40% images is a good rule of thumb for readability and deliverability.
Avoid text-heavy images – Important information like headlines or CTAs should always be in live text, not just in an image.
Use alt text – If images don’t load, alt text ensures key messages are still communicated.
Keep it scannable – Break up text with images, bullet points, or white space to make emails easier to read.
By maintaining the right image-to-text balance, you improve both engagement and email performance across different devices and inboxes.
We hope these steps help you create emails that not only look great but also drive real results. Email design is all about balance—clarity, strategy, and a seamless experience for your audience.
If you need advice, design support, or want to make the most of Klaviyo email marketing templates, we’re here to help your emails get opened, read, and clicked.
Need email design support? Get in touch today!
FAQs
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Can you design emails in Klaviyo?
Yes! Klaviyo has a built-in email editor where you can design and customise emails without needing any coding skills. You can use Klaviyo email templates, drag-and-drop blocks, and custom HTML to create high-performing emails that match your brand.
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Yes! Figma is a great tool for designing email layouts before building them in Klaviyo. Many designers create mockups in Figma, then export individual elements (like images, buttons, or backgrounds) as slices to upload into Klaviyo.
If your design is image-heavy, remember to include live text to maintain a balanced text-to-image ratio and alt text for imagery. This ensures better accessibility, readability, and deliverability.
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For the best results, Klaviyo emails should be 600-700 pixels wide to ensure they display correctly across different devices. Always optimise images for fast loading and preview your email in both desktop and mobile view to make sure everything looks great.
